Your Stories of Downtown Anchorage (Army/Navy Store area) (sale, apartments)

[IntlFalls56649]

So I've never been to Anchorage, but I was browsing some photos of the area the other day which intrigued me. I've always been curious about the underbelly or 'scary' parts of downtown; where I grew up (Duluth, Minnesota) there was a skid row downtown that mostly catered to the loggers, the temp workers - single guys who worked hard out in the woods all week and drank even harder in the city on weekends. Skid row was right beside the bus/train station and as a rule we weren't allowed to hang out in the west end.

I'm happy to say I grew up in a stable home with two parents who loved me. But there was something about the west end - the neon lights flickering above the $90 a week hotels that were 100 years old. The bars in the area that were so dangerous that it was a nightly event where stools were thrown, chairs broken and even a cop was shot there. After that a minimum of three cops would respond to calls for service. The Salvation Army and Greyhound Bus Depot were open all night, as was the lobby of the YWCA where they had single room housing. There were porn shops, dive bars, strip clubs where the 'end of the line' girls would dance around, as well as plenty of 'saunas' and massage parlours. Even as a 7th grader I knew what that area was about. I wanted to know the stories of those who lived there because I was genuinely interested. As an adult, I now see that area has been basically bulldozed for million dollar condos and high rise apartments with their great views of Lake Superior, downtown and the Duluth hillside. Driving through you'd know for sure you were in the most affluent area in the city. As the skid row residents left, so did their stories.

Even though I was pretty young then, I wished I had brought a camera and knew how to interview those who lived there. They were a part of that community, and no matter what people thought of it, the west end of downtown Duluth was home to many.

Those photos of the 4th Ave Army/Navy Store and a few bars really reminded me of the west end of downtown in its poorest days. Does anyone have any interesting stories or photos of the area to post? I'd love to see this topic continue for a while.

Thanks!

[JoDan]

I don't know if they still do it, but the Army Navy Store used to have a huge clearance sale at the end of the season, sometime in September. I'm talking name brand stuff, Helly Hansen, Columbia, etc. I bought Helly Hansen pants for $5.00 one year.

I never felt threatened or afraid down there, in fact, shopped in the area quite a bit.

[ry1n]

Originally Posted by JoDan

I don't know if they still do it, but the Army Navy Store used to have a huge clearance sale at the end of the season, sometime in September. I'm talking name brand stuff, Helly Hansen, Columbia, etc. I bought Helly Hansen pants for $5.00 one year.

I never felt threatened or afraid down there, in fact, shopped in the area quite a bit.

I just went to the sale last month! I got all kinds of good deals to gear up for winter! I live very close and also have never felt even a little threatened or afraid.